Ratchet and Clank
by The Lord of All Chaos
Summary: Ratchet is a mechanic on the planet Veldin, dreaming of a life of adventure. Clank (born XJ-0461) is a robot with knowledge of a terrible plot that threatens the entire galaxy. When Clank crashlands on Ratchet's planet, a new partnership is born. Together they seek to stop the villain known as Charinman Drek and save the galaxy from his evil schemes. (Kinda cheesy summary, I know.)
1. Prologue

Ratchet and Clank

Prologue - The Beginning of the End

Planet Quartu

The darkened skies of Planet Quartu were not natural. They were caused by the black clouds of noxious smoke that were churned out all day, every day by the tall, dark and ugly factory built on the tall slopes of the once beautiful landscape. Golden sparks wafted lazily in the foul breeze and large, metallic guards patrolled the perimeter.  
Within the factory, construction lines worked tirelessly, building and creating robots designed for warfare. At one particular construction line, the robots produced towered well over two meters in height, with three massive fingers, designed specifically for snapping necks and crushing skulls. Three antenna with glowing bulbs were fixed on their heads, and their metals skins were at least two inches thick.  
The computer that operated the line worked tirelessly day after day., building these creatures of warfare. That was what it had been designed for. But the wear of all the work was accumulating. It was putting stress on the machine. So much so that one day malfunctions weren't likely. They were inevitable.  
And so it came to pass that one day, much like any other before it, the computer failed.  
The production line stopped working, the large robotic guards jarred, incomplete. The last robot to be completed was not fitting the design of the others. It was barely a foot tall, with small, delicate fingers. It was had a small body, with a grill on its chest. It had a bobble head with a small antenna with a red bulb. Its wide green eyes stared in awe at the world around him, but there was an intelligent sheen there as well.  
The small robot walked down the production line into a small circular room with a large metal shoot in the centre and another in the wall,. It was clear that completed robots fell down the shoot in the floor and that the other was to act as an escape hatch, leading to where the little robot had no clue.  
In the room was another small robot. It had a wide face with big blue eyes that opened and closed like the shutters on a camera lens. It had small stick like arms and was held aloft by a small rocket that served as its legs. The green eyed robot approached it. As it did however, it was watched by one of the many mechanical guardians that surrounded and swarmed the factory. Its large,blank, stupid eyes watched as the small robot approached the brown Info-Bot.  
As the smaller robot stepped in front of the Info-Bot, its wide head slip into two halves, like a mouth opening. But Instead the top half of his head rose up to reveal a small screen. A video began to play. The small robot watched intently, shocked and appalled by the video's content. When the video was completed the small robot grabbed the Info-bot, which shrank down to miniature size. The small robot opened his chest and placed the Info-Bot inside. When he looked up again he saw the large mechanical guard standing there, ready to seize him.  
Within a moment the smaller robot had already calculated every possible outcome. A physical battle would be an illogical and an un-winnable. The larger robot however was much slower and so the small robot dashed between its large legs and leapt into the wall shoot, sliding down the cold metal and landing unceremoniously into the cockpit of spacecraft. After looking around wildly for a moment he instantly understood the mechanics of this particular spacecraft.  
Within another minute the craft was in the air. The robot grabbed the controls and pointed the vehicle upwards. With a press of a few controls the ship launched into the skies. The robot looked at a few instruments and saw two ships appear on the radar behind him. He scowled and instead focussed on his flying. He had to get away and tell someone. This, 'Chairman Drek' whoever he was, had to be stopped. 


	2. Chapter 1

Ratchet and Clank

Chapter One:Planet Veldin

The Planet Veldin was not the most attractive of planets. It was a rocky, barren waste of a planet with barely any life, aside from a few desert creatures. Of the few settlements there were, the largest had only a dozen houses. Most of these were populated by cultural hermits or escaped convicts. The exception however was a young man. A lombax. A cat-like creature that stood on two feet, with four fingers on each hand with an opposable thumb. It's fur was striped like that of a tabby cat and its tail had a small tuft of hair at the end.  
The lombax hadn't been born on the planet. He had travelled there in a pod when he was just an infant. The inhabitants of the village had taken him in and raised him, even named him. Ratchet. A fitting name for a creature so good with mechanics, even from an early age. If there was a technical problem anywhere in the village, Ratchet was sure to fix it, for a few bolts of course.  
Ratchet however was bored of his life on Veldin. It was a dull, unadventurous existence. And so he conspired to get off the only planet he'd known as home. It didn't take long for Ratchet to assemble a ship that could take him off the planet from the spare parts and junk scattered around his village and he was just that second putting the finishing touches to the vessel's engine. He wiped his brow on the back of his gloved hand and stepped back to admire his work.  
"That should do it," he said, smiling to himself. Then he frowned and stroked his chin. "Something seems off..."  
He checked the engine again, examining each piece. After a thorough examination he found the problem. The engine was lacking a robotic ignition system. He frowned. No way he was going to find one of those lying around. He reached into the pockets of his blue jeans and rummaged around.  
"Come on," he grunted, "I know I've got a few bolts in here somewhere."  
He growled at the utter lack of money in his pocket. He turned back to his home and quickly began to search through all the junk he had collected during his time on Veldin. It took a while but he soon had enough funds that he might by the component that he needed from one of the fences down town. He knew a few of them personally, he could be sure of a good deal. He paused before he left before picking up his trusty Omni-Wrench. It was certainly old model, but it had never let Ratchet down in times of need, be it mechanical problems... or physical disputes with.  
The skies of Veldin were like the ground. Muddy brown. A low brown fog rolled across the desert in the distance. Ratchet kicked up some dust in his wake as he reached the town. It was a nice enough place. Small, but nice. As he drew nearer he saw someone get thrown out of the local meeting point, covered in some beverage, along with his own bruises.  
Ratchet smirked before walking around the back of the building. Once there he was greeted by a large weapon shoved under his nose.  
"Hold it!" cried the holder of the weapon. "Who are you? Why are you here? Who do you work for?"  
"Whoah," said a voice from behind the assailant. "Take it easy there trigger happy. Ratchet's one of my best customers."  
Ratchet looked beyond the gun to see who was holding it. It was a tall, green skinned creature with two fingers and black spikes on its pointed head. It wore black armour and had red sunglasses on. Ratchet looked over its shoulder and smiled.  
"Hey Sigma," he said smiling.  
"Ratchet my boy," Sigma said, spreading his arms wide. "How are you?"  
Sigma was dressed in a bright and dark yellow biohazzard armour, complete with gas mask with green lenses. There was a large, double barrelled tank strapped to his back and was connected by a long tube to the small gun he held in one hand. There was a red biohazzard symbol on his chest that had practically been scraped away, a black marks painted onto the mask. A small grill was cut where Sigma's mouth would be.  
"I'm better without guns being pushed into my face," Ratchet said, indicating the attacker.  
"Ah sorry about that," Sigma asked, his voice amplified by the speaker grill on his mask. "I figured I needed some 'extra security'? If you catch my drift. Its the kid's first day. Normally I'd ask you, but I wouldn't want to take you away from what you love."  
"Funny you should mention mechanics," Ratchet said, stepping past Sigma's bodyguard. "I needed a very specific part and I figured you were just the man to ask."  
"Ah, so you need something from ol' Sigma do ya?" Sigma chuckled. "Can't find the right piece on the junk pile? Well, you just tell Sigma what ya need, and I'll see if I can get it for ya."  
"I need a robotic ignition system," Ratchet said plainly.  
Sigma cocked his head.  
"Robotic ignition system eh?" Sigma muttered. "Now that's some high quality hardware. Not something one finds... 'lying around'. I don't know Ratchet. It may take a while and I think it'll cost more than you could afford."  
"I'll pay anything," Ratchet said quickly.  
"Think before you speak Ratchet," Sigma said quietly. "We're talking at least five thousand bolts here, and that's with a discount. That's for a simple job. Knowing you, you'll want somethin' fancy. That's gonna cost extra. What you're looking for, it'll cost a minimum of twenty thousand."  
"Twenty thousand bolts!" Ratchet exclaimed. "You're not serious!"  
"Look Ratchet," Sigma sighed. "I wouldn't jerk your chain on this one. Now I could get you the pieces to build one yourself, that'd be cheaper, but still we're looking at say, thirteen thousand bolts."  
Ratchet hung his head and his ears drooped.  
"Now don't be like that kid," Sigma sighed patting Ratchet's shoulder. "Tell ya what, since I'm feeling generous, you can have this, on the house."  
He handed Ratchet a blue metal glove with black rubber fingers. A series of black tubes ran over the back of the glove and the palm had a single disc of silver and red metal.  
"Gadgetron Bomb Glove," Sigma explained. "The company's literally given those things away now. No sense in selling it to you for a price when you could get one hot of the damn production line."  
Ratchet took the weapon and slipped it onto his already gloved hand. He flexed his fingers experimentally. Suddenly, the disc on his palm glowed and a small, black and red sphere appeared. Sigma plucked it from Ratchet's grasp and threw it as far he could throw.  
"I see you already figured out how to work it properly," Sigma chuckled. "Just flex young fingers and throw. Be mindful it's only got forty charges on it... well it did, now its got thirty nine."  
"Thanks Sigma," Ratchet said, smiling. "I owe you one."  
"Ah get outta here ya punk," Sigma chuckled. "And remember. You-"  
"Didn't get it from you," Ratchet finished smiling. "I know. I know."  
"Smart kid," Sigma said. 


	3. Chapter 2

Ratchet and Clank

Chapter Two:Crash

The small robot jerked the controls wildly, driving to deviate his current course, which was a nose dive pointing him straight at an unfamiliar planet. His two pursuers were still on his tail, but the were following at a controlled decent. The small robot tried to pull out of the dive but it was no good. The engine was failing and the left wing had a series of holes in it. His eyes narrowed and resolved himself for the crash as the ship shook as it entered the planet's atmosphere.  
(R&C)  
Ratchet struck the side of his home with his Omni-Wrench against the side of his home in frustration. He dropped it sullenly and sat down, his eyes dark with anger. All his hopes and dreams depended on that damn robotic ignition system. He'd have to save up for at least another three cycles before he could purchase even the pieces. He had three thousand bolts in the whole world. He needed a further two thousand just for a hunk of junk.  
He sighed and looked at the murky sky.  
"Maybe I wasn't meant to get off of this planet," he said dejectedly.  
Her frowned and leaned forward, looking at something in the heavens. Something that wasn't the sun hidden by a blanket of filth. It was a bright glowing something that was hurtling through the sky in a steep dive. Ratchet stood up slowly. He knew enough from his time on Veldin what a ship crash looked like. His heart leapt at a sudden realisation. This could be a chance for salvage. He could reclaim an ignition system.  
He grabbed his Omni-Wrench and made sure his new bomb glove was still tight on his hand. As he did, there was an explosion. He looked up and saw the ball of flame rise from where the ship had crashed. He set off at a run, leaping over rocks and cracks.  
As he ran he saw large, toad-like creatures with slimy brown and black skin and greyish horns along their backs. Ratchet frowned as they hopped towards them, horned tongues lashing out at him. Ratchet swung his wrench hard and knocked the first toad away and hit the second on its horned head. He flipped over the next group of toads and ran towards the crash site, his eyes alive with desire.  
He passed under the wreckage of an old crash and kept on running. His eyes were fixed on the fire. This was his best chance and he was going to grab it with both hands.  
(R&C)  
The fires were hot, but it was bearable. They were few and far apart. The pieces of the destroyed ship lay around the crater. The wings were shattered and the main fuselage was ripped in half. The cock pit was nose-cone down in the ground and the glass was shattered everywhere. The propulsion rockets were torn into fragments and as Ratchet walked closer, he could see that the engine, now lying in pieces all around him.  
He sighed, deciding it was better to examine the wreck now that he was here.  
The ship was totalled. That was certain. There was no way he would be able to salvage any working parts at any rate. He might be able to sell off some of the fuselage as scrap-metal but that was probably only worth a few hundred bolts. Nowhere near the amount he needed.  
His eyes were suddenly drawn to a small, box-like object. He walked towards it and knelt beside it. There were two rubber grips on the bottom and a small dome on the top and a grill on the front. It was covered in soot and it was slightly dinged by the wreck. Ratchet wasn't exactly sure what it was but he thought Sigma might know. It could even be worth a bit.  
He smiled slightly before looking around the wreck. There was no sign of any other sort of life, or casualties. He gave a small grimace as he thought of what might of happened to the pilot. 


End file.
